MCKINLEYVILLE >> The Clear Lake Cardinals had chances to win each of the first two sets on Wednesday night in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division IV volleyball playoffs against host McKinleyville.
The Panthers made sure that didn’t happen as they went on to win 25-20, 25-21, 15-25, 25-16.
“We could have won in three games,” Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds said of the season-ending loss, one that leaves her team with a 19-10 overall record. “It was back and forth in the first three games.”
Clear Lake, third in the North Central League I this season, dominated in the third set but couldn’t carry that momentum over to set four.
“Our passing wasn’t very good and we had some swinging errors,” Psalmonds said. “We fell apart.”
Rachel Wingler pounded out 24 kills and had 13 digs in her final high school match. Setter Emily Psalmonds added 37 assists to go along with 11 digs, and Valerie Hutton added five kills and four blocks.
McKinleyville, the No. 6 field in the 16-team field, advances to the quarterfinals on Saturday and will play either No. 14 Middletown or No. 3 St. Patrick/St. Vincent of Vallejo at the site of the highest surviving seed.
